1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying machine or a printer etc., and more particularly relates to an image forming apparatus having a structure in which a paper feeding member may be removably attached to a body performing an image forming operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, conventionally, some image forming apparatuses (i.e., electronic copying machines or printers, etc.) generally include such a structure that a paper feed cassette 3 and a by-path table 4 are attached on the opposite side (B) (hereinafter, referred to as "back side") to the operation side (A) where an operation panel 2 of a body 1 which performs the image forming operation is provided.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, it has been proposed that another cassette, i.e., a feeder cassette 7 is attached on the back side (B) via a feeder 6 in addition to a paper feed cassette 5 to be inserted from the operation side (A). And, there has also been proposed such an apparatus (not illustrated) that the feeder cassette 7 is attached directly on the body 1, not through the feeder 6. For easier understanding, FIG. 3 schematically shows the construction of the image forming apparatus of the type as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, the shape of the feeder 6 is somewhat modified from that in FIG. 2 so that the feeder cassette 7 may be obliquely attached in consideration of the operating efficiency.
In FIG. 3, Numeral 8 indicates paper feed rollers which guide a paper 9 from the paper feed cassette 5 onto a reversing transport path 10, and Numerals 11, 12, 13 and 14 indicate resist rollers, a printer drum, fix rollers and a discharge tray, respectively. Meanwhile, on the feeder 6 side are provided paper feed rollers 16 by which a paper 15 in the feeder cassette 7 attached to the feeder 6 is guided onto a transport path 17 toward the resist rollers 11. Numeral 18 indicates a spring which raises the front end portion of the paper 15 toward the paper feed roller 16 side.
The by-path table 4 in FIG. 1 and the feeder cassette 7 in FIG. 3 are inserted at a sharp inclination relative to the body 1 and the feeder 6 respectively so that the operation may be performed with facility and each paper may be without fail brought in contact with the paper feed rollers. Thereafter, the by-path table 4 and the feeder cassette 7 are brought down to be positioned in the attached state as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 respectively, and they are brought from the attached state as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 into the sharply inclined state again when they are removed.
According to the above-described constructions of the conventional image forming apparatuses, in order to insert the by-path table 4 or the feeder cassette 7 into the body 1 or the feeder 6 respectively and then remove it therefrom, an operator has to turn from the operation side (A) to the back side (B) of the apparatus, this results in more than a little inconvenience to the operator.
Additionally, it is left to operation along a stationary guide member by the operator that the by-path table 4 or the feeder cassette 7 is inserted from a sharply inclined position, brought down into the attached state and lifted again to be removed, therefore it may be said that some practice is required for such operation.